Controlling apparatus for alarms.



APPLICATION FILED DEC. 31.1913.

Patented May 30, 1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE I. ROCKWOOD, OF WORCESTER. MASSACHUSETTS.

CONTROLLING APPAFATUS FOR ALARMS.

Application filed December 31. 1913'.

To all whomz'tmag concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE I; Rocitwooo. a citizen of the United States. residing at \Vorcester, in the county of \Yorcester and.State of Massachusetts. have invented a new and useful Controlling Apparatus for Alarms of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for controlling the operation of alarms. particularly those used in connection with automatic fire sprinkler systems] Ordinarily, the main riser pipe supplying such a system is provided with a channel ,seated check valve whichis caused. to lift and uncover the channel seat' whenever water flows past it,- whether to supply an open sprinkler or as the result of a water hammer delivered by the water in the street pipe system. The lifting of this valve from the channel seat opens connections with an alarm mechanism.

The .alarm is desired to operate only when a sprinkler'or a leak has been the cause of the flowing of water into the system. and where the water movement may be 'caused by one or more water hammers it has been customary to cause the water as it flows from the check valve to the alarm mechanism to pass through a receiving chamber provided with a valve controlled waste port,

" the 'volume of the connecting piping ,and

chamber being calculated to be large enough to hold as much water as will collect in it while the water hammer continues, taking into account in the calculation the fact that water is differentially wasting through the a waste port of the chamber at the same time thatit is collecting there. One defect of such an arrangement has been thata false alarm may be turned in by a close succession of water hammers owing to the fact that, as the waste port valve must be open when water first commences, to flow so as to prevent too rapid an accumulation of water in the chambers, a port large enough to rapidly empty itcan not be used without preventing its filling at the desired rate when a sprinkler opens and an alarm is to be turnedv in. y

The object of this invention is'to provide means for emptying the receiving chamber of a channel check alarm valve at any rate necessary to enable the chamber to discharge Specification of Letters Patent.

channel check valve and cured for operating Patented May 30, 1916. Serial No. 809,744.

the accumulation of water resulting from each of-a series of water hammers during the time that that-water hammer holds the channel check closed.

A further object of the invention is to reduce the water must consequent upon' water hammers. 1

These two objects are accomplished by providing the receiving chamber with a waste port valve,-which. is closed during times of filling so that no change of its position takes place upon the opening of the the entrance of water to the chamber and. subsequently. to the alarm mechanism. and which opens upon the reversal of the flow of water from passmg into. topassii'ig out of, the receiving chamber. In this way no water is wasted chamber and the cfiiectiveness of the alarm does not depend in any degree upon the operation of any valve when the water is admitted into thevalve casing or into the receiving chamber nor does it depend upon the operation of any valve wlien the 'ater in the receiving chamber orelsewhere reaches some predetermined height so as to acquire a definite head; but is operated to discharge independently of the length of time during which the supply fros 1 the .riain has been open. LIOIQOXQIyth G a and receiving chamber are ably so that the latter can considerable elevationabove the former. In

separate preferlve "'iSlIlg.

be located at athis way a substantial head of water is se- I the waste 'p'ort valve even when supplied only tion due to a water hammer. The invention also involves aswill appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to, the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of sufficient parts of the entire system to show the relative arrangement thereof, parts being shown in central vertical section. Fig. 2 is a cenother features .tral vertical sectional view of the valve casing and inclosed parts on enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the same on the line 3.-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4- 1: of Fig. 2, and, Fig. 5 is a sectional view of Fig. 2.

by the accumulaon the line 55 .105

that the device consists of comparatively few parts and th ese parts of very simple character not requiring adjustment or manipulzv' tion except the automatic manipulation due to the system and they are of. such a nature as to last indefinitely.

Although I have illustrated and described only one embodiment can be made therein by of the invention, I am aware ot the fact that many modifications any person. skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. as expressed in the claims and I am also aware of the fact that the inven- L- In adevice of the character described, a receiving chamber vter through the combination with arranged and adapted to pass we it to operate an alarm when therein, of a valve casing for receivin w from a water suppl it to said receiving cn ried out in application Carlson on for a valve for automatic Serial 'Nov 809,639. ish to be limited in water rises ater y system and supplying amber, said valve cas ing having a waste outlet, and a valve in the casing normally closing said waste outlet,'

said valvebeing located in POSltlOIL to be I opened by the pressure l chamber when the How her has emptied,

" '2; The combination of water from said from the water supply system ceases, and arranged to close 5 with a receiving chamber having means for operating an alarm device when checkvalve for admitting water to 40 her-from a water supply system having a'normally closed water valve affording an unclosed passage filled with water, and a the chamof a valve outlet, said for water from the check valve to said chamber and 4 passage for the water constituting means for opening a 'wast-e from the chamber upon the closing of said'check valve, and for.

ber has emptied.

closing said waste passage when said cham- 3. Thecombination with a receiving chamber having means a watersupply system at its top for operating an alarm device, of a supply pipe from having its inlet nor:

. mally closed, a valve casing between said supply pipe and receiving chamber having a waste outlet, and a valve in said mall . nittmg flow. from chamber,

free discharge of the water casing nor closing said outlet, but normally perthe supply pipe to the and having means permitting the from the receiv- 50 ing chamber and valve immediately upon the closing of said inlet.

4. The combination with a valve chamber having a normally closed normally closed connection to a hydraulic alarm supply passage, a waste outlet, and an open device, of a valve in said casing for casing for sin'iultaneously opening the combination of a valve casing having an chamber, and an open connection from said normally, closed supply pipe opening said waste outlet when said passage has been opened and then closed. 5. The combination with. a valve casing having a normally closed supply pipe, :1 waste outlet and a connection'normally con- 'nected with said casing for supplying a hydraulic alarm device, of means in Silltl communication from the interior of said casing and from said alarm connection to thewaste outlct.'sai l means being arrangedto close normally by gravity.

- 6. In a device 0 f the character describeu,

8O inlet and provided jwith a port having a valve seat, a valve for closing said seat, said valve having apassage therethrough and extending beyond the seat','said casing having a chamber beyond said valve seat into which 5 said valve projects, said chamber having a,

cond port, said valve having a portion fitt rig said second port and normally closing the same, a waste outlet, connected with said second port for connection with an, alarm device.

Tv In a device of thecharacter described, the combination of a casing having an outlet and provided with a valve seat at the bottom, 11' valve for closing said seat, said valve being hollow and extending-below the seat said casinghaving a chamber below said valve seat into which said valve projects the bottom of said chamber having a port, said valve fittingsaid port and normally closing the same, ,a waste outlet connected with said chamber, an open connection from a point below said chamber for connection with an alarm device,v said valve having a port in the bottom-thereof, and an upwardly operating valve below said port for closing thesame when the pressure below it is greater than that above. a

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casingconsisting of two parts, the upper part having an outlet and a port by which it communicates with the lower part, a screen in the upper part, the lower part of said casing having a cham- 11K ber below said port, and a second chamber below that separated from it by av partition having a passage therethrough, means for normally closing said port and passage, and means whereby when the pressure in tie lower chamber exceeds that in the upper part of the casing-both the port and passage will be opened. i I

9. The combination of a valve casin a therefor, said 12 casing having three chambers therein, one for receiving the water from said supply pipe, a waste outlet connected with the second chamber, and an open connection to an alarm system connected with the third chai'n- 1B bar, avalve in said casing, and means whereby when the water enters the first named,

chamber the valve will be held in position to allow the passage of water from the first chamber to the third chamber, and whereby when the pressure in the third chamber-exceeds that in the first chamber said-valve will be opened to allow the first and third chambers todischarge into the chamber which is connected to the waste pipe outlet.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination of acasing having three chambers therein, a valve normally closed but movable for disconnecting the second chamber from the other two, said valve having a passage for connecting the first and third chambers, an inlet connection into the first chamber, an open connection from the third chamber to an alarm system, said valve having an open end facing the open connection, and an auxiliary valve in posi tion to close said open end' when. the pressure in'the third chamber exceeds the pressure in. the first chamber, whereby said auxiliary valve and main valve will be,

pushed back to permit the third chamber to discharge into the waste chamber, and the first chamber also to discharge into the waste chamber through said valve.

11. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing havingthree communicating chambers therein, the first chamber having an inlet connection, a valve movable for disconnecting the second chamher from the other two, said valve having a passage for connecting the first and third chambers, an open connection from the third chamber to an alarm system, and an auxiliary valve in position to close said passage in the valve when the pressure in the third chamber exceeds the pressure in of a normally closed pipe for supplying water to the casing, a normally closed valve in the casing arranged to be held in its normal closed position by the water when it enters the chamber on one side of said valve from the pipe,'an elevated alarm device connected with he casing on. the other side of thevalve, eans.for allowing the water to flow freely from the casing to the alarm device when. said valve is in said closed position, said valve having a surface on the side toward the alarm device for receiving the force of pressure from the alarm device, whereby when the pres sure on said surface from the alarmdevice exceeds that on the first named side of the valve, said valve will be opened, said valve casing having a waste port connected with the alarm device and both sides of the valve when the valve is opened.

13. In a system of the class described, the combination of a chamberhaving an inlet, aninclosure, a. stand pipe communieating with said mclosure, a waste space immediately between the chamber and inclosure and having ports leading to both, and a common valve for said ports having a restricted passage therethrough from the chamber to the i-nclosure.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two sub scribing witnesses.

GEORGE I. ROCKlVOOD. lVitnesses C. FORREST \Vnssox, CATHARIXE I. HARTNETT. 

